Thursday, February 4, 2016

Because we've been dying for a Brooklyn-Queens streetcar

Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to deliver his State of the City address Thursday evening in the Bronx, where his speech will include a proposal for a new streetcar system connecting Brooklyn and Queens.

The above-ground rail line called the Brooklyn Queens Connector, or BQX for short, would stretch through growing neighborhoods from Sunset Park, Brooklyn to Astoria, Queens.

The total length would be approximately 16 miles along the East River waterfront that stretches between the two boroughs, primarily in a dedicated lane the city says would avoid conflict with general traffic.

Officials estimate the route would shave about 18 minutes off a commuter’s typical weekday trip compared to current transit options.

How many people are really making this commute as compared to the numbers on the 7 train which breaks down on an almost daily basis?

Yet another example of how the Queens legislators has taken taxes intended to benefit your family and given them to developers who will bring in shallow newbies who will look down on you and your family for being stupid enough to be hoodwinked.

Of course! Many of those "towers people" ....hipsters ....who bought luxury condos along the BQ waterfront , have found themselves in need of the real transportation that they currently lack.Let them swim! Thermal wet suits are a cheaper solution.

Why would a streetcar be better than a bus lane??? It's not. Seems like the streetcar route will cost a lot to build and maintain. How will it run in ice or snow? During this last blizzard many bus routes were detoured for days. Streetcars can't go around something blocking the tracks like a broken down vehicle or another streetcar. I think using electric Buses on a bus lane would be better.

It save 18 minutes until a car hits the train, or a person falls in front of it and when people decide to block it while they cross the street.

Streetcars only work in areas where the streets are wide (for multiple lanes of car traffic, Bus) or where the city enforces the Streetcar Right of way (Vision Zero hit someone with car Your big guilty. Just look at the MTA buses, Traffic is so slow now because drivers are afraid to move. In Jackson Heights they wander all over Roosevelt Ave almost with the attitude "Hit me I need the cash". If you are hit with the streetcar its YOUR fault.)

But remember we have LOTS OF Cash to do studies to determine its feasible more money for environmental impact more money to determine car layout, design and graphics to promote diversity and after a few years rip them out because a BUS is easier to deal with.

Another Duh Blasio antidepressant induced dillusion.Tell your doc to change your meds, big Bill.I'll bet his dominatrix First Lady whispered this idea in his ear as a pillow talk subliminal suggestion.Bill:"Eureka! I just woke up with this great idea in my head"!Da First Lady:"Go see your shrink".

You could debate whether this is better or worse than the Triboro RX project but like it or not this is a desperately needed link between Queens and the Brooklyn waterfront.

Where do you think the jobs are going? Where do you think the housing is developing? The hub-and-spoke model doesn't work anymore because the hub is already overloaded. All this talk about "who makes that commute" is incredibly short-sighted because it assumes our priority should be making band-aid improvements to infrastructure that just does not work at the capacity NYC is at right now let alone in 10-15 years.

Jobs in many disciplines are already going to Downtown Brooklyn and to Jay Street and eventually we should be focused on moving them toward Long Island City - they're already areas with a strong network of subways that take the burden off the historically mandatory mindset that you go into Manhattan to work. Between LPC and the increased demand for residential in Manhattan the ability to develop more commercial property is decreasing, meaning rents are going up and the tenants are leaving for downtown (which is a joke) or the areas I already mentioned. Focusing 10 year projects on the de riguer commute for the last 10 years isn't going to work forever and if we wait until we realize the lack of a real option is a major obstacle then we have already failed.

That doesn't even get into housing, which, yeah, these developers are looking out for their own interests, but with no 421a they're going to end up footing their share of the bill if it's paid for in property tax. But the waterfronts are inherently high value areas. The more waterfront access and housing the more likely we are to see rents holding in infill areas. Supply and demand is awfully simple but it's not out of the league here.

And as for paying for it with tax dollars? Do we really want to push this off on the MTA who sees an annual raid on their coffers for Cuomo's lackeys? Let the city own something. And everyone complaining about the property tax dollars won't be complaining when they suddenly have a sale to match since there's more transit options nearby. Anyone who doesn't think this adds value to properties in those areas is a fool.

It's not a perfect solution but it's the one we got. Don't let "perfect" be the enemy of "good."-somethingstructural

I agree with a previous comment, "What about Jamaica & southern Queens" ??The further out west you go into Queens, the less public transportation alternatives.If you live in Bellerose, Queesn Village or Rosedale you can alnly get around by bus or taxi.Mayor Dibl-ASS-io is pandering to the residents of the "Condo Corridor" in these areas to make it more hip for them only.

This could never work in traffic, deaths and accidents and its why the High Line was elevated in the 1800. Now we have MORE people and cars !! An elevated mono rail would be the way to go but big $$$ and they cant hold many people. A split hull Boat and a couple of slips is much cheaper and faster. This mayor is doing way to many drugs !!!

This Bullshit idea is founded solidly in Liz Crowley's dream (And "Most important Project" according to City Council Watch!) of a light rail line From Atlas Park through to Brooklyn. It's nonsense of course. Our politicians have learned that long range projects make them appear to look good. There's about as much chance of these getting done as a lottery winner getting struck by lightening while purchasing a ticket. Wise up for crissakes... Vote 'em all out!

I'm sure the "Tower people" will appreciate "visitors" from the various Brooklyn projects settling down in Gantry Park for a chiltlen picnic on a lovely Summer's day into night into next day. East River views and the ACLU!

I had a chat about this nonsense with work colleagues.....These people, these progressive people among who I am one, stated what a good idea it was....and I said, perhaps it is good in Boston but NYC, ever since Bloomberg days, the biggest issue with NYC has been the car traffic. Sure, 50-60 years ago there were street cars in NYC but back then, there was a lot less car traffic. To add these street cars on top of the growing car traffic will make the traffic in these neighborhoods all that much worse. Now, if you cut out 50% of the car traffic and add street cars, it might work.....when will this happen? NEVER.

As Mayor Faustio came up with this proposal to validate his subservience and his crummy soul to the predator developers and real estate lords, immediately I thought of Lyle Langley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDOI0cq6GZM

And Allie Fox of the Mosquito Coast with this sectoring of billions of city funding to turn the shores of Brooklyn and Queens into a silicon utopia theme park. Hopefully, like Allie, the Blaz will get crushed by the rage and fury by the natives along the areas. Or if Preet goes down a few blocks and puts the kibosh on the sectoring of civic duties.

Sure the usual places of interest is what makes this obvious bullshit, Astoria, New LIC, Dumbfuck, and Hipshitburgh. But don't sleep on Sunset Park, a lot of art gallery shows and lux events have been happening on the strip there, and the kicker is that they didn't apply for a liquor license. Which is what they couldn't get for the knockdown center because of all the obnoxious drunk hpsht runoff

If the result of this rail and subsequent elongated and dense tumor development that will ensue, then there will cease to be a skyline from Manhattan on the outer stretches of the boroughs.

This has to be the reason why the MTA plans to shut down the L, certainly a chunk of that 2 billies would hasten fixing and modernizing the line. Maybe another chunk could hasten repair and renovation of certain stops in Astoria, Ozone Park and various others. Why does Bill think a presentation and prospective land over-evaluating has to take precedence over places where infrastructure is dilapidated and poses threats to people's safety.

This isn't San Francisco. ....we get socked with snow in the winter. The government has a hard enough time keeping trains running during a snow storm (even the underground trains)so what makes these idiots even think about trying to even run a streetcar? Are these elected officials on crack or something?

The more your houses increase in value, the higher your property taxes."Taxation without representation is tyranny"!And we all know how good that our crooked pols "represent" us in Queens.They are ALL on the tab of some developer!After all, as Donald Manes once said, "Queens has nothing but land. And I intend to develop it"!The "Lord" hath spoken. His disciples still follow him.Soon, we will all be taxed out of our homes, then we will all need "affordable housing"!

Donald Manes' credo is EXTREMELY relevant, even today. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS OUT OF TOUCH,His chief slut, Claire Shulman, is still alive and was found illegally lobbying for the Willets Point project.Well, she looks barely alive, anyway.I must have strick a nerve with my Manes reference. Might you be a Manes family member?

WTF has sea level got to do with this?Oh...excuse me...it's that mentally ill ultra conservative throwback posting his usual anti liberal venom.Whatsamatta....pissed off at your lot in life and got to blame the liberals for it?Hmmmm..isn't this all Obama's fault? LOL!

Dumbo...the Manes playbook of corruption and political payoffs is still the most read book within Queens' crooked political circles.Why don't you move to Westchester county and be with your own, if you can afford it.If not try Sullivan County. But keep far away from us!

Of course we've been dying for this. Makes all the sense in the world that you install a streetcar along the BQE from Astoria to Sunset Park because even though you can never be more than a ten-minute walk from a subway in either town, the residents and business owners in Astoria would be soooo thrilled to have non-English speaking low-income dustmites from a town of COUNTLESS 99cent stores and Grade B restaurants come explore and dwell in the neighborhood.

Sunset Park is a really beautiful neighborhood, with mounds of dogshit every five feet all over the sidewalks and the mysterious colored puddles in their Chinatown blocks of 8th avenue.

Although for residents in Queens Village, Cambria Heights, Hollis and Mill Basin, a subway station is no less than 30 minute march, let's put this Connector right where its needed...Astoria to Sunset Park.

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